Reviewing Random Films For Fun

August 16, 2014

The Phantom of the Opera (1925) #MovieReview

Film 54 in the “1001 Films to See Before You Die” challenge is 1925’s “The Phantom of the Opera”. I was only aware of the Andrew Lloyd Webber version before seeing this so I had the impression that the two are pretty much the same with maybe a few differences. I found this to be enjoyable until the end where I thought the film started to drag. And drag it did. The ending went on and on. It got to the point where I wanted the film to just cut out. Another thing that really annoyed me was the constant changing of the picture colour. At one point it was green, then red, then blue and just kept on changing to the point that I was expecting a epilepsy warning to appear. As I sit typing my thoughts on the film after just seeing it and I can’t really remember anything. I don’t know why but The Phantom looked a little like Homer Simpson. Lon Chaney has said that the faces of wounded World War I veterans had been his inspiration for his makeup. If you have seen this film then let me know what you thought of it in the comments. Here is what I had to say while watching 1925’s “The Phantom of the Opera”

Film – Phantom of the Opera

Year – 1925

Director – Rupert Julian

Staring – Lon Chaney, Mary Philbin, Norman Kerry

IMDb Rating – 7.7/10

My Rating – 6.6/10

Everything’s green

Now everything’s red!

I can’t see a thing!

Is something meant to be happening?

Now something’s happening – It’s reading!!!

Now everything’s blue

Now cream

Time for the opera

First up, the ballerinas

Back to reading

Meanwhile in the office

Looks like the new owners are about to sign the seal

The old owners tell the new ones about The Phantom of the Opera

The new owners laugh at them

“We are not children”

How do you not know who’s in Box Five?

“Is it the Phantom?”

The old owners head in the box and find the Phantom and run

He’s gone!!!

Back to the ballerinas

Everything’s back to red!!!

The ballerinas think they’ve seen the Phantom

RUN AWAY!!!!

They find two men who describe the Phantom

“His nose – There is no nose!”

“Ghosts don’t like being talked about”

This person shows the ballerinas where this person saw the Phantom

They’ve seen his shadow!!!!

How to act scared – Wave your arms around

One of the ballerinas mums sees the new owners and says she’s being harrased by The Phantom

I can’t read The Phantom’s handwriting

I wave my flowers at you

Wednesday night sees people acting strange

Now for an opera in Heaven

Christine likes The Phantom?!?!

Raoul is also in love in Christine – Love Triangle?!?

I demand to see my love

Do you mind? We would like some privacy

Christine tells Raoul that she will never leave opera

KISS ME BITCH!!!

A melodious voice is heard through the walls

“Christine, Tonight I place the world at your feet”

IT’S THE PHANTOM!!!!

Raoul hears all this from outside the room

The Phantom tells Christine to focus on her career

The owners gets another letter from The Phantom

He tells them to “Be Ill”

A random letter gets thrown into the office and the owners are shocked

It’s another letter from The Phantom

They ignore all The Phantom’s warnings and the show goes on

She’s singing but her lips aren’t matching the music

The owners watch on from the box

The old owners are in another box

They get a note from Christine

This opera singer likes looking at herself in the mirror

Who’s playing with the lights?

It’s not the people controlling the lights backstage

IT’S THE PHANTOM!!!

“Behold! She is singing to bring down the chandelier”

The chandelier falls and the audience flee

Some got crushed

How did the audience end up on the stage

Is that the Phantom?

Nope! He’s backstage still

So… Who’s this man?

Better check Christine’s dressing room for clues

Have they reused the same shot from earlier

The Phantom tells Christine to walk through the mirror and meet her maker

Christine sees the Phantom for the first time

He tells her that he can bring the gift of song

What is with the picture constantly changing colour

He takes her down to the bowels of the theatre and puts her on his horse

Down to the deeper bowels of the theatre

There’s a black lake with a boat on it

Does Christine think she has made a mistake when she walked through the mirror

The Phantom takes her down the river to his lair

Does The Phantom want to have sex with Christine

“I have brought you here – five cellars underground – because I love you”

He explains his love for her

She tries to run away and ends up in the bathroom and is scared of a bathtub

“That is where I sleep”

Is there a reason why The Phantom wears that mask?

“You are The Phantom” – You’ve only just realised that?

He wants to become normal again and says his real name is Erik

Christine faints

The Phantom takes her to his spare room and leaves her there

Meanwhile outside a news stand

Citizens read headlines about the opera

Christine re-awakes and realises where she is

Does The Phantom want to marry Christine?

He doesn’t make his intentions very clear

The Phantom has left a note and signs off with his real name

She finds The Phantom playing the organ

He’s playing “Don Juan triumpth”

He says the song reminds him of her

He continues to play the song

SHE’S REMOVES HIS MASK!!!!

He grabs her by the head and wants her to look at his ugliness

“If you love me, let me go”

He agrees to let her go and will let her sing in the opera again

But he doesn’t want her to see Raoul ever again

She agrees to that

So…. Are they gonna have a long distance relationship?

Ayup! What’s with the fancy looking reading screen?

WHY IS THE PICTURE CONSTANTLY CHANGING COLOUR???

EVERYTHING’S RED AND PURPLE!!

Is this the performance or the aftermath of a drunken fancy dress party?

Who is this?

It’s a man in red and with a skull for a head

Is he The Phantom in disguise?

Whoever he is, he’s going after Christine and Raoul

They head onto the roof

“Are we alone?”

She tells Raoul that she has seen The Phantom

The Phantom can hear the conversation from on top of the statue on the roof

“She has betrayed me”

They share a hug as The Phantom looks on and leave the roof

Back inside

The strange looking man tells Christine and Raoul to head in a different direction

The Phantom is back inside and looks for them

Back in the offices

The owners are told that The Phantom has escaped

The next night

Christine and Raoul talk about The Phantom

She wants Raoul to save her

They say they will leave as soon as the performance is over

Is he kissing her tears?

Oh God!!! Someone’s been hung!

The body’s gone and moves to the floor

It’s his brother – Who’s brother?

How do you know what a Punjab Lasso is?

In the lighting control room

The Phantom swaps their beers around

It’s showtime

So.. The Owners are brothers?!?!

The Phantom’s just dragged somene out of the opera box

The lights fade and Christine has disappeared

This wasn’t scripted

Raoul finds the mirror and the creepy man helps him

The creepy man is Ledoux of the Secret Police – You’re a shit policeman if Christine keeps getting kidnapped

Ledoux opens the mirror and takes Raoul inside

They search through the bowels of the theatre

Why is his arm up like that?

That trap door cost someone their life last time Ledoux says

Is The Phantom in the bowels as well?

Nope! It’s the messenger

The Phantom has Christine in his room

He takes credit for Christine’s success

He demands her love!

Put your arms down!!!!

Raoul and Ledoux fall down a hole and end up in a room filled with mirrors

“I will not be cheated for my happiness”

Raoul’s brother has found the river

The Phantom hears this and unmasks himself before heading down the river with a stick

His stick is a snorkel!

Is this meant to have a different colour to represent the different characters

The Phantom has found Raoul’s brother and tips his boat over

He kills him underwater and heads back to his room

And that’s a job well done

He starts playing the organ as Christine listens on

Citizens from the streets hatch a plan

Christine takes The Phantom’s secret bag and he wants it

He takes it and can hear Raoul

Starting to get bored

I can’t see a thing because everything has gone red

The Phantom and Christine see Raoul and Ledoux remove his clothes from the heat

The citizens begin their plan – Whatever that is

The Phantom unmasks again

This is starting to drag

“What will you do for their lives?”

A hole starts to form and Raoul and Ledoux escape through the trap door

This makes The Phantom mad and he plays the organ

Raoul and Ledoux find gunpowder and get locked in

Be my bride or watch them die

The Citizens find their way down to the bowels

Turn the Scorpion and you’re mine!

Turn the other one and everyone dies!

She goes for the other one but thinks again

Remember when I said this was dragging!

She turns the scorpion and the river drains into the room that Raoul and Ledoux are in

She makes The Phantom save them

He does and pulls them out of the hole

He watches on as Christine and Raoul share a moment

The citizens have made their way down to the river

The Phantom takes Christine to his room and then somewhere else

The citizens have found his lair

FOLLOW RAOUL!!!

The Phantom takes Raoul’s carriage and escapes with Christine who asleep

She wakes up and jumps out of the carriage

The citizens have found them and The Phantom flees the scene

Raoul takes Christine away

The citizens chase The Phantom to the river and he scares them all by raising his fist

They attack him with hammers and burning sticks before throwing him in the river